The Gorgon field is centered about 130 kilometres (81 mi) off the north-west coast of Western Australia, where the water depth is approximately 200 metres (660 ft).

Other fields in the group lie to the north, such as Jansz-Io, which covers an area of 2,000 square kilometres (770 sq mi), in a water depth of 1,300 metres (4,300 ft).

PRRT contributions are often delayed depending on tax deductions that companies are eligible for, and the then-labour Julia Gillard government proposed that it would be revisited once revenue began flowing from the project.

[16] The project was developed by the Gorgon Joint Venture, which as of 2009[update], consisted of Australian subsidiaries of three global energy companies:[17] The scope of the project includes:[citation needed] Using initially 18 wells, according to the Environment Impact Statement of 2009, gas was to be delivered via subsea gathering systems and pipelines to the north-west coast of Barrow Island, then via an underground pipeline system to gas treatment and liquefaction facilities on the island's south-east coast.

The plant was intended to consist of 3 liquefied natural gas (LNG) trains, each capable of producing a nominal capacity of 5.2 million tonnes per annum (MTPA).

[19][22] Carbon dioxide (CO2), which comprises around 15% of the raw gas stream from the Gorgon field, is stripped out then injected into formations 2 kilometers[23] below the island, with 3.4 to 4 million tonnes of CO2 planned to be stored each year.

[26] In November 2023, it was reported that over the 2022-2023 period, only about one third of the CO2 generated by the site had been sequestered, mainly due to issues managing the subsurface pressure to avoid damaging the cap layer that traps the CO2.

[citation needed] Under the provisions of the Barrow Island Act (2003), the joint venturers are required to reserve 2000 petajoules of gas for delivery into the domestic market.

The island is a Class A nature reserve, home to the flatback turtle (classified as a vulnerable species[38]) and numerous other animals not found on the Australian mainland.

[29][39] Other concerns are related to the adequacy of quarantine procedures on Barrow Island to protect against introduced species,[40] and risks associated with geological sequestration of CO2.

It was reported in November 2011 that native animals on Barrow Island had been accidentally killed daily with a known total of 1550 since construction began.